Kadu Santos became known for his intense training styles in the gym.
Former bodybuilding champion and fitness influencer Ricardo Nolasco dos Santos died on Monday in Novo Hamburg in southern Brazil, according to multiple reports. He was 31 years old. The official cause of death has not been shared at this time.
Santos, who is best known as Kadu Santos, won numerous bodybuilding titles during his career while becoming a well-known influencer on social media. He had just proposed to his girlfriend, Sabrina Wollman, on stage following an event in July. She shared an emotional message after Santos proposed.
“I love you with all my heart. I admire you and I’m very proud of who we’ve become together over the years. Thank you for always making me the best version of myself.”
Santos began dating Wollman, who is a personal trainer, in 2021. The couple continued to grow in the fitness world together. Santos built a following over 13,000 on Instagram during his career. Many fans of Santos within the bodybuilding world shared messages on social media and came out to his funeral, which took place earlier in the week in Novo Hamburg, according to DailyMail.
Kadu Santos’ Impact on the Bodybuilding World
Santos gained a passion for fitness at a young age. As an influencer, he became known for his intense training style that helped him build an incredible physique. Santos, who displayed his massive biceps on multiple occasions, would often share advice to fans wanting to build better versions of themselves.
These training methods helped Santos win 11 bodybuilding titles during his career. He was a two-time champion of the regional Muscle Contest competition as well.
Over the years, Santos became close to others within the community and many shared messages following his death. This includes bodybuilder Diego Wiegand.
“Today, heaven is certainly celebrating. Kadu was a person who was completely out of the ordinary, incredible as an athlete, coach, and even more so as a person.”
Earlier this week, the news broke of Jimmy Sadek tragically passing away. Like Santos, Sadek began competing at a young age and turned bodybuilding into a successful career. He was crowned the Teenage Mr. Australia in 2002 before going onto win the Junior National Championships three years later. He quickly became known for his incredible dedication in and out of the gym. He was quick to share his training style and dieting tips to those who wanted to build a better physique. This came from over two decades of experience in the fitness world.
The death of Kadu Santos continues an unfortunate string of deaths in the bodybuilding world. Just weeks prior, it was reported that IFBB Women’s Physique Pro Jessica Rivera passed away. Rivera put together an impressive bodybuilding career that earned her a Pro Card nearly a decade ago. She became known in Women’s Physique for her impressive conditioning and muscle tone. Rivera was able to become a strong competitor in the division over the course of her career.
Kadu Santos is an athlete that touched a lot of people during his time in the industry. The outpouring of messages shows the impact that he left on the fitness world.
Generation Iron sends condolences to family and friends during this time. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
